Claiming Her Mates Complete Series Collection

by Dia Cole

  “Okay.” Mira handed me the hairpiece.

  The walnut-sized diamond butterfly was stunning, but I hadn’t realized that the gold pin was a good three inches long. “You must be careful with this, bug.” I didn’t want her hurting herself with it.

  “I will,” she promised. She stood still while I swept her long tangled mane into a knot and slid in the pin. With her red turtleneck and topknot, she looked far older than her years.

  “There, you look just like a princess.”

  “Yay,” she squealed. “I want to show Daddy. Where is he?”

  I glanced over at the door to the pool. “He’s at the pool right now—”

  “Pool!” she shrieked. “Can I go swimming? I want to go swimming!”

  “What about your neck?”

  “It’s fine. I want to go! Can I go? Please! Please!”

  “All right then.” I laughed. “Assuming Mason approves, you can go swimming.

  “Yes!” she jumped up and down. “Can we go now?”

  “Um.” I glanced back at the pool door remembering Nathan and Liam’s lack of clothing. “Let’s check the luggage behind the front desk for some swim clothes.” And some clothes for the guys.

  “I want one that’s pink and has a unicorn on it.”

  “Let’s see what we can do,” I said, letting her drag me to the lobby. “Why don’t you tell the boys about the pool while I go look through the luggage?”

  “Okay!” She darted off to the Christmas tree where the boys sat sucking on candy canes bigger than their faces.

  Ugh. They were all going to be sticky messes. A dip in the pool was definitely in order.

  I looked over at the rest of the survivors. Most stood near the front desk still arguing in low voices. Seriously? I rolled my eyes. Maybe a dip in the pool might improve their moods too.

  Shaking my head, I stepped behind the front desk. An explosion of clothing and toiletry items covered the floor. I sighed wishing I’d been a little neater when I’d search the bags for Christmas gifts.

  Despite the mess, I located a pair of jogging pants I thought might fit Nathan. Liam was out of luck, but I found a girl’s swimsuit somewhat close to Mira’s size. I walked around the front desk and brought the turquoise suit over to where Mira stood talking to the boys.

  “Look what I found, bug. It has mermaids on it.”

  “I love it!” Mira snatched it out of my hands. “I want to go swimming now!”

  Kaden and Jackson threw down their candy canes. “We want to go too!”

  “Shh! Inside voices,” hissed Rebecca, patting the now sleeping Sierra’s back. The woman sat on the closest windowsill, her watchful gaze on the children.

  The little ones immediately quieted.

  Rebecca nodded her approval. “If you’re good and sit down criss-cross applesauce, maybe all of us can go swimming in a little bit.”

  All three kids immediately sat down.

  Man. I can learn a thing or two from that lady. “I’m going to let the guys know the plan.” And make sure they get some clothes on. As I turned to leave, Marshall intercepted me.

  “Hey, legs. Do you know where Nathan went?”

  I bristled, not liking the older man’s demeaning nickname or his demanding tone. “Yes.”

  When I didn’t elaborate, he scowled, and rubbed the hawkish point of his nose. “Tell him we’re not leaving here.”

  My hands involuntarily curled into fists. “Is that so?”

  Rebecca stood and marched over to the balding man. “Our best chance of survival is to stick with Nathan and his friends.”

  Go Rebecca.

  “No,” Marshall replied. “Our best chance of survival is to wait for help.”

  The man was delusional if he thought help was on its way. If what my mates had told me was true, all of human civilization had fallen. No one was coming to save us. We’d have to save ourselves.

  Rebecca clearly felt the same. “There’s no help coming, Marshall. I trust Nathan’s judgment. He’s the only reason any of us are alive. If he says we go, we go.”

  “No.” Marshall’s face turned beet red and the vein on the side of his liver-spotted temple throbbed. “Help will come.”

  Enough. I caught his eye. “Marshall, you will—”

  Rebecca interrupted my attempt at compulsion. “If you stay you’ll either starve or you’ll become lunch for the next horde of zombies. Now stop leering at Havana, take that self-righteous stick out of your ass, and tell the others to get their things together.”

  Marshall gaped at Rebecca like a dying fish. Likely, no one had ever talked down to him like that in his entire rich and powerful life.

  I freaking loved this woman. Deciding Rebecca had it well enough in hand, I tucked the jogging pants under my arm and headed back to the pool.

  Poor Marshall. He was still clinging to the rules of the old world. The world where police officers and soldiers protected us from the bad guys. Although it would be hard, Marshall would eventually adapt to our new reality.

  Just like Nathan would eventually adapt to my mates. Discovering I was mated to his friends and pregnant to boot was a lot to handle. Nathan just needs some time to adjust.

  I’d give him that time, and I’d try to be patient with him. But I would not break our bond. Not now. Not ever.

  Squaring my shoulders, I pushed the door to the pool open. I’m not sure what I expected to find, but it wasn’t all four of my mates seated at a small patio table deep in discussion. It was strange, but definitely better than finding them at each other’s throats. “What’s going on, guys?”

  The four guilty expressions didn’t give me the warm fuzzies. I walked over and set the jogging pants in front of Nathan. “What are you all talking about?”

  No one said anything for a heartbeat, and then Nathan said, “We’re discussing the terms of me staying.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Terms? What terms?”

  “We’ve agreed to put Nathan in charge,” Mason called out.

  “He’s Head Mate,” added Liam, who’d already put back on his jeans.

  Head mate? “What does that mean?”

  “It means they are under my command.” Nathan stood, his rugged face perfectly healed. Damn he was sexy with that silvery beard. Even without one of his four thousand dollar suits on, he exuded so much power and confidence, I was irresistibly drawn to him.

  I looked up at him through my eyelashes. “Am I under your command too?”

  His eyes blazed a mesmerizing shade of amber. “If only.”

  “So you’ll stay?” I searched his face and our bond for some hint at his emotions.

  He was completely closed down. “For the time being.” He pulled on the jogging pants.

  “I’m so glad. We’ll make this work. You won’t regret this.” I tried to kiss him, but he turned toward the others.

  “And our agreement stands?” he said to my three other mates.

  They all nodded like obedient lap dogs.

  I looked at them in confusion. “What agreement?”

  Mason stood. “Besides him being Head Mate, he gets to sleep with you alone a minimum of three days a week. He gets to have lunch with you and Mira alone five days a week.”

  “And he gets first mating when you are in heat,” added Liam.

  “And Nathan gets to watch us mate whenever he wants,” Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

  What? “And you decided all of this without me?” What about my thoughts and feelings?

  All four of my mates nodded with a male arrogance that infuriated me.

  As anger simmered inside me, I curled my hands into fists. “What if I don’t agree to these terms?”

  Nathan opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of a woman’s scream interrupted him.

  We all jerked around.

  Another scream rang out from outside the door.

  “Oh, no! What’s happening?” Are the survivors under attack? I ran for the door.

  “You stay
here.” Gabriel grabbed my arm. “Liam and I will check it out.”

  Nathan stepped in front of him. “I’m in charge, remember? Vana, you stay here with Mason. Liam and Gabriel, you’re with me.”

  “Wait. I can fight too,” Mason shouted.

  The other males shoved past him and left Mason and I alone in the room.

  “It’s probably nothing, love,” Mason said, pushing me behind him. He scanned the room and ran over to the long metal pool net mounted on the wall. After pulling it down, he forcefully snapped off the net and held up the pole as if it were a spear.

  I opened my robe, preparing to shift into my monster werewolf form before remembering I couldn’t. Crap.

  Nathan’s horror, panic, and grief blasted me, nearly bringing me to my knees. “Nathan! What is it?”

  He didn’t respond, but there was only one thing that would make him lose it like that.

  Mira! “Something’s happened to Mira.”

  The door swung open.

  Liam stood in the doorway, his face pale. “Doc, we need you.”

  “What’s happened?” I shrieked. “Is Mira okay?”

  His bleak expression froze my blood. “She’s infected.”

  7

  Mason

  My heart raced as Havana and I rushed after Liam down the hallway. How could the little Alpha be infected? Mira seemed in fine health just an hour ago when she’d adamantly refused to give up the champagne.

  “Did zombies break in?” Hysteria made Havana’s voice tight.

  “Nothing like that,” Liam called back. His long strides ate up the hallway, making both Havana and I jog to keep up. In seconds we reached the lobby.

  The humans were huddled near the fireplace, their horror-filled gazes on the small swimsuit clad Alpha female.

  Mira squirmed in her father's arms. “Let me down, Daddy. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I know, sunshine,” Nathan said in a choked voice.

  “Keep her away from us,” shouted Marshall. “She could infect us all.”

  “Be quiet!” Although Gabriel’s tone was no nonsense, his gaze never left Mira’s back. As we grew closer, I saw why.

  Long tendrils of black veins streaked down the little girl’s spine.

  Bloody hell. The vascular necrosis was unmistakable. Somehow the little girl had contracted the Z-virus.

  Havana let out a gasp and sprinted over to Nathan and Mira. “Oh no, baby!” Tears ran down her face as she threw her arms around Mira and Nathan. “How did this happen?”

  “I don’t know,” Nathan said, his voice tighter than a bow. “She was fine yesterday at the lodge. It must’ve happened after Liam took her.” He glared at the redheaded Enforcer.

  Liam stopped a few feet away. A look of guilt and pain crossed his face. “I didn’t… I don’t …”

  Mira pushed away from her father and jumped into Havana’s arms. “You said I could swim. I want to swim.”

  “And you will, bug,” Havana said with forced cheer. “But first we need to look at your back. Does it hurt?” She rubbed her fingers over the dark veins.

  Mira shook her head.

  I stopped next to them. “Do you mind if I look, Miss Mira?”

  The child blinked at me with her large golden eyes. “Okay, but I’m not giving you my juice.”

  “Of course,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. I swept my gaze over her body trying to locate the origin of the infection.

  Havana shifted Mira so I could see more of her upper back. “Mira’s been complaining that her neck felt funny. But I never thought…”

  It took only a second to find the origin of the infection—a small laceration no bigger than a thumbnail near the base of her skull. The necrosis radiated from the superficial injury that, under any other circumstances, would have healed without a scar. Christ. I’d missed the small injury during my exam of Mira yesterday, but even if I’d seen it, the Z-virus was initially impossible to identify with the naked eye.

  Havana let out a sob. “A horde of zombies attacked the helicopter before I could take them out. They smashed the windows… One must’ve scratched Mira. Oh, God.” She started hyperventilating.

  I put my arm around her. “Deep breaths, love.” We didn’t need Havana collapsing.

  Mira pursed her lips. “What’s wrong with my back? Am I sick?”

  Havana drew in a steadying breath and schooled her face into a smile. “Yes, bug, but Mason will cure you just like he cured me.”

  Nathan, who’d been standing frozen, broke from his stupor. “You can fix this, Wheeler?”

  This wasn’t the time to remind him of my new surname. I opened my mouth and then closed it when I realized he’d go mental when he discovered the truth.

  Havana grabbed my arm. “Mason, you can help her, right?” Her fingers dug into my arm painfully.

  If only that were the case. True, I’d been able to accelerate Havana’s first Lykos transition with Tasha’s blood. However, Havana had been just days away from her first transition. Mira was over a decade away from hers. Until she could take wolf form, she would be just as vulnerable to the virulent Z-virus as human children. The best I could do was ease the little girl’s imminent passing.

  The smell of fear wafting off the humans grew stronger. It was in their and Mira’s best interest, that we moved her away from them.

  I took a deep breath and summoned my years of experience interacting with bereaved family members. “I’ll do my very best. Now let’s get Mira somewhere more private.”

  Gabriel glanced out the window. “What about the clinic next door?”

  “Perfect. We can treat her there.” I looked over at the front desk. “I’ll need my messenger bag.”

  “We’ll get you everything you need,” Nathan said, his eyes filled with desperate hope. He turned to Gabriel. “Go get my daughter’s clothes. She says she left them in the women’s restroom.”

  Gabriel inclined his head and headed toward the bathroom.

  Nathan looked over at Liam. “Get Mason’s bag.”

  Liam nodded and strode over to the front desk.

  Havana set Mira down. “We’re going to the lodge, bug.”

  “No!” The little Alpha stamped her foot. “I want to go swimming!” Tears sprang into her eyes. “You promised!”

  “You’re right I did,” Havana said, facing down the mini tornado. “And we will go swimming right after you get a checkup. We can even get more crayons from the gift shop on our way.”

  “I want crayons. Can I go with Mira?” shouted Kaden, jumping to his feet.

  “Kaden Phillip Ackerman sit down,” Rebecca ordered.

  Marshall leaned toward the boy and whispered loudly, “Don’t go anywhere near that girl. She’ll give you the virus.”

  I cleared my throat. “That’s not how the transmission works—”

  Liam interrupted me. “The Z-virus is only contagious after death, right Doc?” He handed me my messenger bag.

  Technically, yes. I nodded and slung the strap around my shoulder. The infected person had twenty-four hours before the virus killed and reanimated them. If Havana was correct on the time of Mira’s infection, the girl had roughly ten more hours to live.

  “Kaden, you can see Mira when she’s all better,” Havana said in a calm voice. Her unshakable faith in my abilities splintered my heart.

  Getting ahold of myself, I checked that the prescription sedative I’d found in one of the hotel rooms was still inside the bag. Mentally, I calculated the dosage I’d need to stop the little girl’s respiratory and circulatory functions.

  Ah, Christ. My hands shook for a moment, until I brought my emotions back under control.

  “There’s no cure for the zombie virus,” Marshall shouted.

  Rebecca glared at him. “Shut up, Marshall.” Then she looked at my mate with wide eyes. “Havana, were you infected?”

  Havana nodded. “I got zombie blood in a cut right here.” She held up her hand. “I would have died, but Mason
healed me.” Her eyes shown as she looked over at me.

  “Are you saying there’s a cure?” asked a blonde woman named Rhonda.

  My mouth dried as over a dozen pairs of eyes focused on me. “I—”

  Gabriel saved me by stalking over with a handful of clothes in his hand. “I found Mira’s things.”

  As Havana helped the little girl put her clothes on over the much too large swimsuit, Nathan gave the Enforcers their orders. “Liam, you’ll stay here and guard the hu—the others. Gabriel you’re with us.”

  Gabriel and Liam nodded as if they’d been following Nathan’s orders for a lifetime instead of an hour.

  Nathan scooped the fully dressed Mira into his arms and we hurried to the lodge next door.

  After a quick pit stop to pick up some crayons, we headed to the clinic. It was on the second floor between some offices and the stairs. The room was barely big enough for two exam tables, a desk, and a sink, but that didn’t stop Nathan, Gabriel, and Havana from cramming into the dimly lit space.

  As Nathan gently laid Mira on one of the tables, I went over to the sole window and retracted the mini-blinds. Bright morning sunlight streamed in, illuminating the room, and the stark expressions on Nathan and Havana’s faces.

  “What’s the plan, Wheeler?” Nathan demanded.

  Havana gave him a cross look. “Dr. James needs to examine her. Give him a minute.”

  The three adults moved back allowing me to stand next to Mira.

  Although I’d already seen everything I needed to see, I grabbed the stethoscope and sphygmomanometer hanging on the wall and took Mira’s vitals. Her readings were perfect. It seemed improbable that in less than twelve hours the child would be dead, but that’s what made this virus so tragic.

  Nathan watched every movement I made with an intensity that put my hair on end.

  The Alpha was barely keeping it together. I feared how he’d react when he discovered the reality of the situation.

  “Can I look at this?” Mira asked, pointing at the stethoscope. There was no resisting the impish grin on her face.

  “Be careful,” I said, handing it to her. Medical equipment would be hard to come by in future days.